Northbrook, IL -- Wagner College senior long-snapper Phil Faccone (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) is among an elite group of 22 college football players from across the nation named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, as announced today by the Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

This prestigious college football award recognizes and pays tribute to a select group of student-athletes who have worked to positively impact the lives of others. The 22 players honored with this distinct recognition have not only dedicated their time to succeeding on the field, but have made a commitment to enriching the lives of others while contributing to the greater good of their communities.

For more than two decades the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® has been one of the most esteemed awards in college sports. This summer, the program received a record 182 nominations from colleges and universities from across the country. A voting panel comprised of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® members and college football media members reviewed the nominees in an effort to select 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, to comprise the 22-player team.

Faccone's boundless community-minded spirit has allowed him to become the second Wagner football player to earn on a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team®, as he joins former Seahawk offensive lineman and current assistant coach, Steve Ciocci, in this select group. Named to the 2014 Preseason All-American Team, (link) Faccone becomes just the third representative from a Northeast Conference (NEC) institution to earn a spot on the AFCA Good Works Team®, as University at Albany wide receiver Daniel Bocanegra was named to the 2008 team, followed by Ciocci's selection in 2012.

During his impactful tenure on Grymes Hill, Faccone has directed  and-or participated in a host of several community service initiatives, including Wagner's Annual Bone Marrow Registry Drive and the Crescent Beach Restoration Project, which aids one of the many Staten Island communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy in October, 2012, to name just a few. This past June, Faccone took part in Lauren's First and Goal Camp (LFG) at Lafayette College, a non-profit organization started in 2004 by John and Marianne Loose in honor of their daughter, Lauren, a 17-year-old pediatric brain tumor survivor. Since its inception, LFG has raised more than $1 million toward its mission to provide financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services.

"This is obviously an outstanding honor for Phil and we're just so proud of him and all of the things he has accomplished with respect to community service," said Wagner Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Walt Hameline. "He's really among elite company. To have Steve (Ciocci) on the team two years ago, and now Phil, it's truly a special thing for Wagner College and our football program."

Faccone serves as Vice-President of Community Service for Wagner College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a committee comprised of student- athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. He was also recently elected President of Omicron Delta Kappa, a National Leadership Honor Society that recognizes achievement in a myriad of areas (Scholarship, Athletics, Campus or Community Service, Social or Religious Activities and Campus Government, Journalism, Speech and the Mass Media, and Creative & Performing Arts. In addition, Faccone is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and serves as Secretary for the Wagner College Chapter.

"This is a tremendous honor and a surreal moment to think that I'm one of just 22 football players from around the country to be on this team," said Faccone. "A lot of my teammates have spent so much time taking part in various community service projects, and making them successful – So, I have to thank them. And I owe big thank you to Coach Steve Ciocci for being such a great mentor and role model when it comes to community service."

In the classroom, Faccone is a three-year member of NEC Academic Honor Roll and holds a 3.74 GPA while majoring in sociology with a minor in government/politics.


"Allstate takes an immense amount of pride in working with the AFCA to recognize these student-athletes for their good works that have made a positive impact on communities across the country and, in some cases, across the world," said Jim Haskins, president of Allstate's West Territory and a member of the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® voting panel. "Allstate is a proud supporter of NCAA football and it is an honor to award these young men for inspiring us all with their character and work ethic both on and off the field."

For the past 23 years, this award has recognized countless outstanding acts of service, and the accomplishments of this team are no exception. From creating non-profit organizations and programs to help those in need, to earning a Bronze Star from serving two tours of military duty in Iraq, these 22 players have done remarkable things in their communities and touched many people's lives.

"The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® has been highlighting student-athlete volunteerism for 23 years, and the list of honorees keeps getting better each year," Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director said. "The 2014 Good Works Team^® members are some of the most dedicated athletes, on and off the field, I have ever seen. It is the AFCA's pleasure to work with Allstate in promoting such great ambassadors of the game of football."

Allstate and the AFCA are looking to the fans to help determine this year's 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® Captain. By visiting ESPN.com/Allstate, fans can learn more about this year's team members and vote for the player who they feel best embodies the spirit of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®. The Team Captain and his fellow award recipients will also be invited to New Orleans to take part in a community project leading up to the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate^® Sugar Bowl^®.

The 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® voting panel includes: former Good Works Team^® members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team); media members Lou Holtz (ESPN), Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Bruce Feldman (Fox Sports),  Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President and Ithaca College head coach Mike Welch; 1987 AFCA President and former head coach at Brigham Young University LaVell Edwards; and Jim Haskins, president of Allstate's West Territory

About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through its Allstate, Encompass, Esurance and Answer Financial brand names and Allstate Financial business segment. Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2013, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $29 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 200,000 hours of service across the country.

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams^® were established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field.  AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need.  Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.
With Chris Conley's selection in 2014, Georgia moves into first place with 15 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®. The Bulldogs are followed by Nebraska at 14 and St. Thomas (Minn.) with 13 honorees.  The SEC leads all conferences with 62 selections to the Good Works Team^® since it began in 1992. The SEC is followed by the Big 12 Conference with 42 selections and the Atlantic Coast Conference with 29 selections. Super Bowl XLII, XLVI and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Good Works Teams^®, respectively.

About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football."